Accel Entertainment, Inc. Announces Election of Bruce Wardinski to Board of Directors

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: ACEL), a leading locals-focused gaming operator partnering with small businesses, local communities, and state governments to provide entertaining, convenient, and safe gaming experiences nationwide, today announced the election of six directors to its Board of Directors, including new director Bruce D. Wardinski. Mr. Wardinski is an independent director who will also serve on the Board’s Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

“We are pleased to welcome Bruce to the Accel Board,” said Andy Rubenstein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accel Entertainment. “Bruce has spent his career in the hospitality and real estate business, most recently building and ultimately monetizing a complex, multi-site business with a strong local operating footprint as a public company CEO accountable to shareholders. That experience maps directly to where Accel is today – a proven platform with meaningful growth ahead of it. His perspective on capital allocation and long-term value creation will be an asset to our Board as we continue to scale.”

Mr. Wardinski is a seasoned public company executive with more than 35 years of experience building and scaling growth businesses, with deep expertise in capital allocation, real estate investment, strategic finance and corporate governance. He is the Founder and former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V., where he led the company from its founding in 2006 through its successful acquisition by Hyatt Hotels Corporation in June 2025. During his tenure, he built Playa into one of the leading publicly traded owners and operators of luxury all-inclusive resorts, growing its portfolio to 15 premier properties across Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Mr. Wardinski currently serves as non-executive Chairman of DiamondRock Hospitality Company (NASDAQ: DRH). Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Barceló Crestline Corporation and held senior financial roles at Host Marriott Corporation.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Wardinski said, “I am pleased to join the Accel Board at an exciting moment for the company. Accel has built a genuinely differentiated platform – a large, distributed network with deep roots in the communities it serves and a business model that has demonstrated its resilience. I look forward to working with Andy and the rest of the Board on capital allocation, growth strategy and governance as the company continues to grow.”

Mr. Wardinski holds a B.S. in Commerce with honors from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

About Accel

Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: ACEL) is a growing provider of locals-focused gaming and one of the largest terminal operators in the United States, supporting nearly 28,000 electronic gaming terminals in over 4,500 third-party local and regional establishments and 20 self-operated gaming locations across ten states. Through exclusive long-term contracts, Accel serves licensed non-casino locations including bars, restaurants, convenience stores, truck stops, gaming cafes, and fraternal and veteran establishments. Accel also owns and operates a racino venue.

Accel provides its local partners with a turnkey, full-service, capital-efficient gaming solution that encompasses manufacturing, content, payments, loyalty, 24/7 customer service, data analysis and reporting, and cash logistics. The Company’s racino, Fairmount Park – Casino & Racing, opened in April 2025 and features approximately 260 electronic gaming machines, food and beverage amenities, a sports book, pari-mutuel betting, and approximately 57 racing days planned for 2026.